An amateur baker uses a simple trick with aluminum foil to achieve perfectly uniform cakes every time.

Want to make a cake worthy of a bakery? Cake strips will help you achieve a perfect result, but what if you don't have the money to buy them? Don't worry: this trick will allow you to make your own homemade strips effortlessly. You'll only need some aluminum foil, paper towels, and well-prepared cake pans.

According to instructions from home baker Becky Barelli on TikTok, first wrap the outside of each cake pan with aluminum foil to check its exact size. Make sure the piece you cut is slightly longer than the circumference of the pan, a few centimeters more. Fold it in half lengthwise and then cut the foil diagonally. Lay out two pieces of paper towel and make sure they match the size of the foil. Then, fold the paper towel pieces in half lengthwise twice. Soak the paper towel pieces in ice water, wring them out well, and place one in the middle of the foil pieces.

Fold the edges of the aluminum foil over the paper towel until it's completely covered. Prepare the inside of the baking pans according to the recipe instructions, then wrap the foil strips around the outside of the pan until the ends meet. Pinch the foil strip at its base and fold it down firmly until nothing sticks out. Then, fill the pans and follow the baking instructions. You'll end up with a moist cake that's easy to layer and frost.

Cake strips keep cakes flat without drying them out.

What exactly are cake strips for? They ensure that each layer bakes evenly and that the edges don't brown faster than the center, reducing the risk of a dry cake. Plus, you won't have to trim off the puffed-up top or use a cake leveler to prepare the layers for frosting. And best of all, no cake scraps will go to waste.

Once the layers are properly made, you won't have to worry about trimming, sculpting, or scraping until everything is the perfect size. There's no need to worry about crumbs ruining the frosting, or preparing extra frosting to cover any exposed cake. You might need a thin layer to cover any major imperfections, but much of the work has already been done thanks to the cake strips. They'll make it much easier to avoid baking mistakes.